WITH millions of Brits basking in a glorious sunshine this Bank Holiday weekend, many will also be enjoying a scrumptious BBQ feast in their gardens.
However, if you are only kickstarting the BBQ season now, you will first need to give the grill a good clean before the guests arrive.
This is a key step, as not only can a dirty surface ruin the taste of your food, but also lead to a number of health-related issues, such as salmonella infection.
The nasty stomach bug causes vomiting and diarrhoea – and whilst anyone can get sick from it, young kids, elderly people, those pregnant, and others with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk.
To make sure no tummies are aching this summer, one guru, Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress, revealed how a popular beverage can remove grime from your BBQ in just minutes.
According to Chris, foodies can use beer to make the popular appliance sparkle and safe to use – and it’s a great hack if you don’t have any other cleaning products available.
The expert said the acidity from the beer helps to “break down” any grease and leftover food bits sitting on the grill, making it a breeze to scrub it off.
Chatting with The Express, Chris instructed: ”Ideally you want to let the grill heat up for around 10 minutes to loosen up any food and grime.
“After that, turn the BBQ off and pour a small amount of beer onto the grill, allow it to finish sizzling away before taking a coarse scouring pad or even some newspaper and scrubbing the grill.”
Once you’ve finished scrubbing, Chris said to get rid of any remaining beer residue by wiping the grill down with warm water.
Previous research has revealed just how lazy Brits can be when it comes to keeping their BBQs spotless – in 2021, HG found that Britain ranked worst in Europe for cleaning grills, Daily Mail reported.
The shocking results of the study revealed that around a third of Britons apparently wait until it it already BBQ season before cleaning the device, whilst some foodies admitted to only cleaning it once a year.
Running low on beer? Another firm favourite that can tackle the stubborn stains and grime is Mrs Hinch‘s beloved The Pink Stuff paste.
Loved by millions of cleaning fans across the nation, the purse-friendly product is gentle on surfaces whilst also removing tough marks from hard surfaces.
Surprisingly, onions can also be used to clean grill grates effectively if you don’t want to use any harsh chemicals.
Simply cut an onion in half – put the knife under a stream of water to prevent any tears – and spear it with a fork.
After rubbing the cut side across the grates, the natural acids will break down the grease.
Research shows people are exposed to an average of 60,000 types of germs on a daily basis.
Cleaning expert and Product Development Scientist at Astonish, Olivia Young, reveals the dirtiest items in your home and how to clean them.
Kitchen sponges or cloths
Some of the items we use to clean surfaces are actually the dirtiest. From wiping down worktops, to cleaning dishes, kitchen sponges or clothes are used multiple times throughout the day. And when doing so, it’s usually wet and warm, meaning if it’s not cleaned properly, it can be a prime spot for bacteria to grow.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’ve used your sponge for around two weeks – it’s time to replace it.
Shoes
Shoes are without a doubt an item in your home that is full of bacteria. A study suggested a single shoe sole has an average of 421,000 units of bacteria, but there’s no need to panic.
Most of these germs that gather on shoes won’t come into contact with other areas of your house, assuming that you take them off as you enter or put them in a box in your wardrobe.
Pet bowls and toys
Pet bowls have actually been found to be the third most contaminated item in households, meaning they are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria that could make you and your pet unwell.
Give them a wash with warm soapy water after each use to keep bacteria at bay. For toys, if they’re plastic you can soak them in warm water with either disinfectant or soap, soft toys can be cleaned thoroughly in a washing machine on a gentle cycle.
Toothbrush holder
Your toothbrush holder is probably not something you’ve considered to be dirty – but there’s more germs in the container that holds your toothbrush, than the taps on your sink.
Clean your toothbrush holder at least once or twice a week.
It’s not just the humble onion that works like a charm – according to cleaning fans, you can also use lemon to tackle stubborn grease.
Similarly to the onion trick, this remedy involves cutting a lemon, or an orange, in half before rubbing it over the appliance.
The zesty juice should help dissolve any food residue and leave a lovely aroma – what a win!
For a more hands-off approach whilst you’re entertaining the guests, you can also put the grill racks in your dishwasher on a hot wash setting – simply relax and let the machine do the hard work for you.
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